Burning Souls - Book 2 // Zuko

Chapter 1

Zuko groaned as he got to his feet and walked away from where his uncle was getting a massage. He didn't really mind staying in the small town where there was no fire nation to cause trouble and so far, no one had recognized them, but he just felt like he was in a stalemate. His uncle was enjoying himself by spending the day on the beach collecting shells or coming home with armfuls of flowers. Raven would laugh and giggle at his uncle's almost childlike behavior and even sometimes the girl would join in.

The girl would skillfully avoid being alone with Zuko and if they did so happen to end up alone together whilst Uncle Iroh was off doing something, she would keep the topic strictly on the Avatar, about their staying in the village or on training. Even if Zuko had wanted to bring up her memories, he wouldn't have succeeded. The truth was... he was afraid. He was afraid if something happened and she did end up regaining her memories of her past self, she would be disappointed in how much he changed since he was a kid and she was still Shira.

Zuko stopped walking and his mind was snapped out of his thought process when he spied the familiar figure of Raven up ahead. She was standing on a block of ice the middle of the small river, practicing her ice bending. Her eyes were closed and there was a bandana tied around her eyes to keep her from seeing anything.

Zuko took this opportunity to come and stand on the edge of the river, crossing his arms and leaning against the tree. With the girl not trying to avoid conversation, Zuko took in the sight of the girl.

The girl had changed as far as attire went in order to blend in more as they were in Earth Kingdom territory now. Her red, simple shirt, pants and scarf had been discarded completely. She wore a tight-fitting dark green shirt that stopped just above her stomach with a lower collar than her last outfit had, the collar coming down just an inch below her collar bone. The sleeves of her shirt were elbow length, but lacy thin sleeves extended to her wrists and covered the backs of her hands and palms, leaving only her fingers uncovered.

She wore a simple pair of dark green leather pants and simple brown leather boots. Across her chest and around her waist were two thick belts. The one over her back as where she stashed her sword and the one on her waist carried the small important articles such as medical supplies that she always kept with her. Zuko got the strange impression that she had obtained that belt solely for that purpose because she didn't trust him and Iroh to not get injured.

On her left upper arm was a small belt which held a small ice dagger that she had crafted. It was just a normal small dagger that was blunt, but she had encased it in ice to make it look like it was purely made of ice. Over her top she wore a mid-upper arm short sleeved jacket. The bottom of the jacket came level with her top and she always had the front unbuttoned.

She had taken to wearing her hair completely down instead of a high ponytail like she had since they had run into her at the tavern. Zuko had always wondered why she had dyed her hair but after his uncle informed him of Raven's lack of memories as Shira, he had wondered if it was for the sake of blending in... or for other reasons.

However, there were some questions that remained even more a mystery including her bending. He didn't remember Shira being an ice bender, but he hadn't known she was a light and plant bender till the last day he saw her, so it might have been something she hadn't disclosed. However, what he didn't understand was why she never used light or plant bending.

"How long have you been standing there?" the girl asked, snapping Zuko out of his thoughts.

She had removed the cloth from her eyes and was looking at him with one hand on her hip, her head tilted quizzically.

"Not long," Zuko replied. "It was either come find you or watch uncle get a massage."
Raven chuckled as she hopped back onto the shore, brushing herself off, "Your uncle is enjoying freeloading life."
Zuko nodded, preparing an excuse to keep her there, knowing that she would leave. However, the girl startled him by sitting down on the grass at the edge of the water, draping her arms over her knees.